What to do if you have concerns about your CHRP repair

If you have concerns about a repair carried out through the Canterbury Home Repair Programme (CHRP), you can contact us to discuss this further, or complete the Claim Review Form and guide. We are happy to send you out the form and information if you require.

If you have concerns about a repair carried out through the Canterbury Home Repair Programme (CHRP) please contact EQC immediately.

If the CHRP repair to your home was completed within the last 12 months, you will need to provide details of the repair address, your claim number and a brief description of the matter(s) requiring attention.

If the CHRP repair was completed more than 12 months ago, you will need to complete a Claim Review Form. EQC can send you the form along with an outline of the information you need to provide to EQC in order to request a claim review.

Below are two claim review request scenarios with supporting documentation.

All customers with a claim review request for repairs need to provide a completed description form and provide photo(s). If a customer’s preference is for a cash settlement they need to also provide a contractor’s quote.

EQC offers the following examples as guidance only and may need further information than shown here. The need for further information will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and depend on the particular facts of each claim review request.

Scenario 1: Crack in living room wall.

Since the living room wall was repaired within the Canterbury Home Repair Programme, a crack has appeared on that wall, close to the ceiling. You can see an example of the completed form, supporting information and contractor quote below:

contractor's quote (provided because the customer has stated a preference for a cash settlement).

Scenario 2: Door lock does not catch fully.

When the rear door was being replaced as part of a Canterbury Home Repair Programme repair the lock was damaged and no longer catches fully. In this scenario the customer intends to replace the lock themselves so a screenshot has been provided rather than a contractor’s quote. You can see an example of the completed form and supporting information below:

Claim review settlement: cash or managed repair

If your request for a claim review is successful and your claim is re-opened, EQC would like to know if customers would prefer their claims to be addressed as a managed repair or a cash payment in the event that remedial works are required. If your preference is for a managed repair, EQC will take your preference into consideration but may not be able to meet it.

Cash settlement

Cash settlement may suit you if you would prefer to appoint and manage your own contractor(s) to carry out any remedial works that are required. The cash settlement will reflect the assessed cost of carrying out those works.

General

In what circumstances would EQC not accept a remedial request?
Scenarios where a request for remedial work may not be accepted include, but are not limited to, the following:

If we determine the works that a customer has asked us to review have been completed to the specifications and standards we require.

If the works that a customer has asked us to review were completed by a contractor who they privately instructed (ie if the repairs were not completed as part of the Canterbury Home Repair Programme).

If, in the case of damage that has not been repaired, we determine the damage a customer has identified and brought to our attention is not earthquake damage resulting from the events that gave rise to the claims settled through CHRP.

If the property has sustained any natural disaster damage since the CHRP repair was completed, a separate EQC claim would need to have been lodged within 3 months from the day the customer’s property was damaged.

Why am I asked whether I have a preference for managed repair or cash settlement?
EQC is asking customers when they make their claim review request whether they would prefer to receive cash settlement for the cost of any remedial works (and arrange their own contractor to undertake the repairs) or prefer EQC arranges a contractor to complete this work. This is because the steps for progressing remedial requests differ depending on the settlement approach.

However, your preference is only relevant if EQC determines that remedial works are required to your property and a managed repair is available.

If my remedial request is accepted, will I have to pay excess on my remedial?
Not necessarily. If we are rectifying work already completed as part of CHRP this will not change your excess amount.

However, if new and/or additional work is included as part of our review there will be some situations where we may need to recalculate EQC’s settlement position and this may change your excess amount.

If you have not already been sent your CHRP excess invoice, EQC will send this to you once your remedial request has been dealt with.

Why cash settlement?
You may prefer to receive a cash settlement. This approach may suit you if you would prefer to appoint and manage your own contractor(s) to carry out any remedial works that are required at a time that suits you. The cash settlement will reflect the assessed cost of carrying out those works.

How will EQC use the information I provide to determine a settlement amount?
Once EQC has determined that remedial works are required, EQC must determine the cost of those remedial works. EQC will review the quote(s) you have provided that show how much your contractor estimates the remedial works will cost when determining the settlement amount.

How long will I have to wait for a cash settlement?
Once EQC has determined what remedial works are required and determined the cost of those works, we will send you a remedial cash settlement letter. You or your mortgagee (as applicable) will receive your cash settlement within 6 weeks of that letter.

Once I have told EQC that I would prefer to receive a cash settlement, can I change my mind?
As the steps for progressing remedial requests differ dependent upon the settlement approach it would be helpful if customers could confirm their preference sooner rather than later. EQC will consider any change in your preference on a case by case basis.

Managed repair

Why managed repair?
If your preference is for a managed repair, EQC will review your remedial request and, while there can be no guarantee that a managed repair will be available, if works are required, a contractor will be arranged to complete this work.

If my preference is for a managed repair, when could I expect work to start?
EQC will review your remedial request and if accepted, and if a managed repair is available to you, EQC will arrange a contractor to carry out repairs required.

If I indicate that my preference is for a managed repair, could I change my preference?
You can change your preference from a managed repair to cash settlement of any remedial works that are required at any time up until work starts. You would need to provide EQC with a quote from a contractor for the cost of carrying out those remedial works if that is your preferred settlement approach.

Support available

How can I get more information from EQC?
If you have further questions you can contact EQC by:

Who else can help?
You can also seek assistance from one of the support agencies outside EQC listed below:

Canterbury Support Line provides support for a range of social and wellbeing issues, including access to support and information for dealing with earthquake-related matters. Call the Support Line on 0800 777 846, open 24 hours every day, for free and confidential information, support, counselling and connection to emergency services.

EQC and Southern Response working together

EQC and Southern Response have agreed to share resources in an effort to more quickly settle customers’ residential building claims in applicable cases.

The two Crown organisations believe this will have positive outcomes, enabling customers to get on with any remaining earthquake repairs sooner.

Where the two organisations agree a residential building claim listed with Southern Response as the private insurer is likely over the EQC cap*, Southern Response may manage the EQC claim on EQC’s behalf.

Southern Response would act as EQC’s agent in these applicable cases, completing the assessment and settling the EQC claim in accordance with the EQC Act, along with any entitlements the customer may have under their insurance policy.

In some instances, where EQC has almost completed its assessment of a likely over cap claim, EQC may continue to work on that EQC claim rather than transfer it to Southern Response to act as EQC’s agent in finalising the EQC claim. If it is determined to be over EQC’s cap, EQC will cash settle the customer for their EQC claim entitlement in accordance with the EQC Act.

Southern Response will then consider whether any settlement amount is payable in excess of EQC’s cap. EQC will provide Southern Response with relevant claim information to assist with its assessment of the earthquake damage under its policy that is in excess of EQC’s cap.

We are also talking to other private insurers about how we might work with them on outstanding claims that are likely to be over cap.

*Cap is the amount under the Earthquake Commission Act 1993, that EQC insures a residential building for against natural disaster damage. Generally this is $100,000 plus GST per event. If the cost to repair natural disaster damage to a residential building is over this amount, it becomes “over-cap”.